NBA pushing for Mavericks to reignite ancient rivalry quickly next season

Believe it or not, the start of the 2024-25 NBA season is now just over two months away. Many fans are counting down the days until they watch their favorite teams retake the court. Dallas Mavericks fans are on that list after the team's groundbreaking moves this offseason such as acquiring future Hall of Famer Klay Thompson.

With offseason news being as scarce as it ever has been, the NBA released its schedule which included leaks of the Christmas Day games and the league's new NBA Cup schedule.

With the full schedule being released today, every team now knows who they'll be playing in their first game of the season. Dallas is set to play the San Antonio Spurs at home to begin the season, and every fan can't wait to see this opening matchup for the second season in a row.

Mavericks-Spurs old rivalry to resurge with opening matchup

It's no secret the past few years have been disappointing when it comes to the in-state rivalry between the Mavericks and Spurs. Both teams have fallen in and out of rebuilding periods and haven't seemed to be on the same timeline since the early 2010s.

Fortunately for fans of both franchises, the rivalry could be reignited after the NBA's recent narrative push. For the past few seasons, the NBA has begun to welcome rivalries back into the league and one way the league has done so is by introducing Rivalry Week, which happens at the end of January. The league has also pushed the rivalry narrative by scheduling teams on opening night and the Spurs and Mavericks are no exceptions.

Last season, the Mavericks opened their season in San Antonio and got their first look at phenom Victor Wembanyama. Not only was the game an instant classic, but the Mavericks pulled away late in the fourth quarter to take a 1-0 regular season series lead over their in-state rival.

This year should be no different after both franchises made win-now moves to get their teams closer to Finals contention. Dallas added sharpshooter Klay Thompson, while San Antonio paired Wembanyama with one of the best point guards in NBA history, Chris Paul.

Both teams will have a lot to prove come opening night, but the hype is real around both groups to make some legit noise this coming season. Dallas may be better suited to win a championship with their current roster, but San Antonio is on the cusp of making their first playoffs since the 2018-19 season and could be on Dallas' heels soon.

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